Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Old Joe Clark on piano
Written by Tennessee Folksong
- D major
- 2/4
- 100 BPM
- bVII–I–bVII–I loop
- Tricky
Learn Old Joe Clark in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – D – C – D
Old Joe Clark sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CbVIIDICbVIIDI- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Kangaroo leaps
Bass, high chord, bass, high chord, fast: the hand leaps like a kangaroo. Musicians call it stride (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a tricky pattern heard in 107 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Marching clock
One note ticking evenly in a short two-beat bar, like a toy march. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: D – C – D
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DCD
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Questions about Old Joe Clark
What chords are in Old Joe Clark?
The loop is C – D – C – D (bVII – I – bVII – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – C – D.
What key is Old Joe Clark in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Old Joe Clark?
Kangaroo leaps: stride (2/4), a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Old Joe Clark easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.